The system is based on an IR CCD camera and data processing by artificial intelligence, and results can be monitored on mobile systems such as an iPhone. In addition to detecting large posture changes by patients such as sitting, standing or leaning against the handrail, as well as falling off the bed and other hazardous […]
Team at Nagoya University develops „ClearSee“ technology to render plant material transparent
The technology is based on the removal of chlorophyll by a chemical reagent. After irradiation with fluorescent light, It allows to visualize tagged plant structures such as proteins, pollen tubes etc. by a confocal microscope once these structures have been tagged by dyes or by coexpression of fluorescent proteins such as GFP. JST news release, […]
Toyota Motor close to commercialize yeast-based bioethanol based on Napier grass as a drop-in fuel.
Process development has reached a 46 kL stage with 90 % yields based on biomass sugar content. Biomass hydrolysis is done by dilute sulfuric acid. The Napier grass is from Indonesia, and the yeast was engineered to utilize both glucose and xylase, by activating the pentose phosphate cycle and cloning a xylose isomerase from termites […]
Artificial blood vessels built from vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells using cell-selective adhesion peptides bound to fibroin: Nagoya University
The group of Ryuji KATO at Nagoya University is using collagen vitrogel deposited on sericin to bind vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells selectively. Preliminary animal experiments indicate that intima thickening and thrombus formation can be prevented in such grafts. Japanese Society for Biotechnology Annual Meeting, Kagoshima, October 27, 2015, Poster 1P-223
RIKEN group designs enzyme with temperature stability > 100° C
Based on the enzyme CutA1 from Pyrococcus horikoshi, expressed in E. coli, the group of showed that site-directed substitution of charged surface amino acids by hydrophobic amino acids was able to rise the temperature stability of this protein from 84 °C (wild type) to 108 °C (mutant EcCutA1_0SH_S11V / E61V), as measured by DSC RIKEN […]
Chugai has installed six 6000 L tanks in its Ukima factory for the manufacture of new antibody drugs
Applications are in the manufacture of human EPO, bi-specific antibodies and G-CSF production. Nikkei Biotech news release, Octobeer 23, 2015
RIKEN team develops method to expand pluripotent hematopoietic progenitor cells
By inhibiting the transcription factor E2A by an inhibitory protein Id3, introduced in mice using a retroviral vector, the group of Hiroshi KAWAMOTO succeeded to expand blood hematopoietic stem cells very significantly. The findings are considered highly significant for possible artificial amplification of multipotent hematopoietic progenitor cells. RIKEN news release, October 23, 2015
Suntory may market recombinant blue carnations „Moondust“ as potted plants from 2016
A related application was filed to MAFF and the Environmental Agency. Target date for beginning of sales is Mothers’ Day May 8, 2016 Nikkei Biotech news release, October 22, 2015
DNA Chip Research Co. will start service for quality assessment of mesenchymal stem cells, Taiyo Nippon Sanso offers complete cryopreservation service
The Kanagawa-based company (which will move to Tokyo from Nov. 1) has announced to start service and sales for quality control of mesenchymal stem cells. The “C3 check service” is based on comparative genomic hybridization (CGH). This will be done in collaboration with ZenoAQ, a leading company for animal health products, which offers a cryopreservation […]
Cell Bank of Japan will expand business beyond autologous cultured dermal fibroblast cells
The Tokyo-based private company, which has permission since 2014 to prepare in their cell culture processing facilities autologous cultured dermal fibroblast cells for cosmetic purposes, plans to expand her business and apply her know-how to prepare a variety of cells for clinical trials at academia and in pharmaceutical companies. Nikkei Biotech news release, October 16, […]